Sometimes Less is More

Don’t buy more equipment, buy smarter

Excess is relative, but occasionally we forget this. When it does happen, we opt to spend more when we could have managed with less. Scores of customers walk through our doors each and every day looking to buy equipment, which is something you won’t find us complaining about. However, what is important, is that they walk out having made a decision about their equipment purchase that won’t come back to haunt them in the near future. While a good buy at an appropriate time can help build your company, a poorly planned purchase can put you a few steps behind the competition.

Two key principles need to be observed, and you will be familiar with both: haste makes wasteand less is more. Applying them both, we’ll share with you the key pointers to remember if you want to buy your equipment the smart way.

Tunnel vision has a place – it’s just not here

Focus is great when correctly applied, but when running your business, rarely does anything happen in isolation. The purchase you make today should be just as valuable to your company tomorrow. Managing a fleet involves fuel costs, maintenance, transportation, training, and the eventual wear and tear of the vehicle. It’s in your best interests to follow a purchasing plan that takes these things into consideration to avoid incurring unnecessary costs.

We simply cannot stress this enough – weed out the pretenders. The internet has been a gift to the buyer. All it takes is spending a few minutes online to browse reviews, compare prices, check testimonials and review company performance. The reputation of the company will certainly lower the chances of receiving shoddy products.

Leave nothing to the imagination

So you’ve chosen your preferred supplier? Congratulations! Now comes the tricky part. When you are conversing with the ever-so-charming sales team, make sure that not only do you know the objective of your purchase but they do too. They need to know exactly what you need not what they would like to sell. This will ensure you are presented with options that are suitable for your business and its requirements at that particular time.

Think ahead

You’ve been presented with a host of options that all seem to be EXACTLY what you need. Stop right there, take a moment and remember idle inventory will cost you – it should be avoided at all costs. If your business is not in dire need of the extra capacity, don’t overspend! Rather use these finances to help your business grow. Refer to your market research and buy your minimum viable inventory. As your business progresses, you can consider buying more.

Equally as important is finding out whether your chosen supply has a dependable stock of spare parts. This will help you avoid downtime, disruption of service and disappointed customers. The need for maintenance will arise, so make sure you have a trustworthy solution.

Don’t get too much of a good thing

We’ve already covered the crux of this matter, but it’s important to consider it from this perspective as well. It may seem convenient to buy more equipment now rather than later, however, if you have too much equipment and later find you need to get rid of some of it, it can be a hassle you don’t need. Excess unwanted equipment is a headache – an avoidable one.

Check and inspect

Still going with the purchase after following our advice? It must be worth it. Make sure to inspect and test the equipment before you leave the premises. Quality and reliability is key – you don’t want to stumble before you reach the first hurdle. The last thing you need is a nasty surprise.

Looking to buy some equipment? Talk to Truckworld Rental for a team of experts with extensive experience in the transport industry. We’re ready to assist you.

Scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours – Partnerships

Discover the undeniable value of partnerships

No man is an island; your business shouldn’t be one either. Forming the right partnerships can play a large part in your business’s future success. A partnership is a mutually beneficial arrangement between two noncompeting businesses. We understand how relying on your own resources, efficiency and objectives can be attractive; however, working together with a reputable organisation that has similar interests – but doesn’t compete with your directly – can vastly improve your potential for success.

The benefits of forming solid partnerships

Everybody wins – Referral, recommendation, rewarding experience

Firstly, you need to have a thorough understanding of your customers and any products or services that they are looking for, that you can’t provide. This will allow you to determine any value-add offerings that they require, and direct you towards the relevant companies with whom you can build fruitful relationships.

Since we’re looking at partnerships, we might as well use a business model that is built on the notion of partnering, wedding planners.

If you are going to be planning a wedding, your customers will most likely need:

A venue

Catering

A photographer

Tailored suits and dresses

Make-up for the bridal team

Contact these organisations and ask them if they would be interested in forming a referral partnership. If someone walks into a dress shop looking for bridesmaid’s dresses. You can show them your outline for a comprehensive wedding plan. On the other hand, if you are working with a bride and her husband, you can suggest members of your network as reliable sources for a quality venue, catering, etc. The result? The recommendations and referrals will bring a steady stream of business to you and your partners. Just remember that the referrals you make reflect on your company as well as your partners; news of bad experiences travels faster and more frequently than any triumphs you may have enjoyed.

Partnerships offer additional benefits over and above the referral system. These include:

Greater efficiency

When you build your network of partners, you don’t just increase your visibility; their assets, skills and technology become an extension of your business, allowing you to improve your productivity and offer your customers added value.

Improved value proposition

The connection between two or more businesses breeds opportunity for better value for your clients. They can now enjoy access to a wider range of purchaser options, which they might not have previously discovered. This is also why it’s important only to offer referrals to companies that you know you can trust. Your customers will appreciate the convenience and quality that they receive.

Partnerships are a strategic advantage to any business, in any industry. Your business may be able to survive alone, but if you really want to strive for greater success, a partnership or two, may be just what you need to consider.

Why it’s important to look after your equipment

The day-to-day running of any service business can be so absorbing and time-consuming that a job like equipment maintenance can easily be shelved in favour of more pressing matters. However, keeping any equipment in good nick is essential for various reasons, and neglecting to do so could have serious consequences.

Because every-day schedules can be demanding, the best course of action whenever you have a new piece of equipment is to immediately diarise regular maintenance checks. The regularity of those checks will depend on the kind of machinery and the critical safety parts of the equipment, which might require more frequent attention than others. Manufacturers’ instructions will almost always provide guidance on a maintenance schedule; ignore these at the possible peril of your valuable equipment.

Cleaning

The most basic first step is to regularly clean your machinery. Build-ups may start benignly, but ignored for long enough they can cause blockages and jolts that could lead to parts being damaged.

Regular cleaning has the added benefit of allowing a closer cursory inspection of parts: if the cleaner is alert, he or she is more likely to spot potential problems if your equipment is clean.

Preventative equipment maintenance begins with regular cleaning, but it doesn’t end there.

Who should do it?

Equipment operators usually have the most intimate relationship with equipment, they are also best placed to do regular cleaning and to keep an eye and an ear on how things are ticking along.

Some might know the equipment so well that they could do regular maintenance themselves. However, managers should not assume such knowledge, particularly not if operators have not had specific and specialised training in the particular equipment for which they are responsible.

Engaging the services of professional mechanics and maintenance people – or making use of the services of the company that sells the machinery, if such a service exists – is an excellent way to ensure that your equipment functions optimally at all times.

Why should you do it?

The reasons for keeping your machinery in excellent shape are quite simply time and money. But if you’ve been too busy to remember to make maintenance a part of the beating heart of your business, you probably haven’t had time to think through precisely how a broken piece of equipment can affect the smooth running of your business.

If you don’t maintain something, it will eventually break. If this was not a fact of life, then the people who maintain, diagnose and fix machines wouldn’t be in such high demand, and most mechanics would be out of work.

If your machine breaks, it’ll be out of commission for a while. This means that it may halt production or the provision of certain services, meaning your earning capacity has been curtailed.

Also, if that machinery is a refrigeration system, what has been kept in cold storage might spoil and need to be disposed of, a sometimes terrible, and avoidable, financial blow due to a lack of vigilance.

The repairs themselves will cost money and if cash flow is a current problem, that’s not going to sort itself out easily.

Do you care about health and lives? Clean your machine.

Lost time and money can have severe consequences for your business, but faulty machinery can become dangerous to property and to lives.

While you may be able to financially recover from a temporary failure of your machinery, things are a lot more complicated if a worker, operator, driver, passenger, or even an innocent bystander is severely injured because you neglected to maintain your machinery. This is not a situation any human being wants to ponder for too long, or find themselves in.

Spick and span

Keep it clean on the outside too. Sort out the nicks and dings, shine and polish and generally be aware that your equipment is an extension of your brand as a service provider. These may only be cosmetic, but clients and customers will be unconsciously drawn to services where it looks like the owners are proud of, and care for, their equipment.

Treating Your Clients Well

Give customers the service they want and watch your business thrive

Walt Disney said, “Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends.” You may not have a Disney-styled truck rental business but that doesn’t mean your customer service should be anything less than ideal.

Give your customers what they want and not what you think they need. This message should become clearer through your sales staff taking notice of what your clients want. Catering to your consumers’ needs is paramount; it’s often what differentiates a great business from a mediocre one. Which one do you want your company to be?

Here are a few tips on how to treat your clients right:

Listen

This is the first step to speaking consumers’ languages in terms of the services or products they require. We all know that when we walk into a company’s store or office, we are there to be heard and get what we need. Your job is to ensure you focus solely on your client and listen attentively to their requests.

Welcome feedback

If it’s positive, thank your clients for their interaction and show how much you value their opinion. If it’s not, make sure they explain why, also thank them for their feedback and take steps to correct the shortcomings, making sure it doesn’t happen again. By communicating with your customers on a regular basis you show them that you care about their opinions. By listening and acting, especially to negative feedback, you show that you care about your business.

Build trust

Clients know your products and have come to trust your company. Continue to build this trust by keeping them updated on any changes to your service or products, or news on your company or industry. If you drastically change something about your services or products without informing your clients, you can create confusion, which can have a detrimental effect on your company.

Honesty is always the best policy, not because it’s the right thing to do, but because it works for you. Don’t tell clients one thing only for them to find out a different story about your company online. Be open and honest with them always, and they will reward you with their loyalty.

Maintain your products

Keep a firm hand on your product quality, particularly if you operate in the industrial sector and you hire out machinery. If you own a car and truck rental business or you lease out construction equipment, or any kind of machines, make sure they are in good working order before they leave your premises. Clients want nothing less than reliability and efficiency; and if you can provide it on a consistent level, your business will go from strength to strength.

Accept responsibility

Companies who treat their clients with respect, are inclined to retain their customer base. If your company has made a mistake; accept responsibility, offer an apology and correct the mistake as soon as you can. Going out of your way for your customer makes a lasting impression and improves your company’s credibility.

It’s become a common trend for business owners to disregard a consumer who they feel is too pushy or demanding. Never assume an unhappy client is just being difficult for the sake of it. If they have a point, accept it and engage them in a polite manner. If the client is being difficult, do your utmost to keep them happy, and remember, that even though you have an unhappy client on your hands, you can always turn them into a happy client.

Walt Disney’s success grew on the back of basic service excellence, which included these points. Given his legacy and ability to make children and adults happy, even long after his death, it’s hard to disagree with the man.

Get in touch with Truckworld Rentals today where clients and our equipment come first.

How do you know if Truck Driving is for you

Considering a career in truck driving? Find out if it suits you

It’s a tough but rewarding job that requires a thick-skinned, free spirited individual who knows how to maintain a good balance in life. The trucking industry can be extremely demanding on family, which is why it is essential that you know whether you’re cut from the right cloth, or not.

Truck driving can be an immensely rewarding job, offering a unique lifestyle that must suit your personality if you are to succeed. There is no massive requirement for routine, however, you do have clients to please and will require a large degree of self-discipline.

Before embarking on your new career as a truck driver, you need to consider a few things first.

Tenacious personality

If you want a successful career as a truck driver then you need to be able to work really long hours, most of it alone. This requires a tough and tenacious attitude. If you’re on the road 80% of the time, you are going to need to learn to love your own company, and that of your family’s when you get home. It’s a demanding career but it allows you to experience a freedom that few other jobs afford.

Open road adventure

You can often drive through several states in one trip so the potential for something new to happen every day is there. You will meet hundreds of different people, experience interesting new places, visit famous sites, feel some crazy heat and cold, and in some instances visit spots that most have never heard of. It’s certainly an educational career.

Confidence

The first few months will feel like a challenge, but with each trip your confidence will begin to grow and strengthen. Before you know it, you’ll have struck up friendships with other drivers and you’ll become part of the pack. Making mistakes can knock your confidence, but you learn from the error of your ways. If you’re uncertain of anything just ask a fellow trucker, they’ve all been where you are, and know the ropes.

Limitations

If you want a free lifestyle, you need to know that trucking is not all about freedom on the open road. You are not under a microscope, but you’re also not free to drive wherever you want to, whenever you want to. Your vehicle is monitored, so you are not really alone out there, and you still have a job to do. There’s also responsibilities to deal with outside of driving, which include doing the laundry, eating meals, fuel stops, vehicle repairs, and showering. All of these need to be timed to ensure you meet your deadlines safely and with undamaged goods.

Sleep routine

Sleeping is erratic. You may end up driving all night, or you could sleep for 12 hours straight, it’s not a set time. You are required to take naps in the afternoon – not while driving! This will ensure you stick with the regulation sleep hours required by all truckers. It goes without saying that this is the first key to your survival on the road. Are you ready for this?

There are many more considerations for a “wannabe” truck driver and if you have any questions, perhaps you should go down to a truck stop and chat to a seasoned trucker. Educate yourself on the finer points before taking the plunge.

5 Benefits of Hiring a Truck & Trailer

If your need for trucks and trailers has increased in the recent months, you probably need to consider whether it’s more economically viable to buy this equipment rather than hire it.

If that’s the case, then read on, because in this blog, we are going to outline five reasons why it may be better to keep renting.

It’s cheaper

There’s no denying that there are benefits to owning your own trucks and trailers. There are a number of logistical and financial advantages to owning your own equipment, but these only really come into play when you’re a large and successful enterprise.

If you’re not quite there yet, it would be better to hire. Trucks and trailers are a huge investment, especially if you don’t have a significant budget.

Hiring a truck or trailer costs a fraction of the price in comparison to buying. Also, if you are serious about buying in the future, hiring will give you a chance to try out the equipment before you make a purchase. Win-win.

Insurance and upkeep

While you may only consider the initial investment of a truck and trailer, there are other hidden costs that make it more expensive than it seems. When you hire from a rental company, these operating expenses (insurance and upkeep) are covered in the rental costs. With Truckworld Rentals, all service, maintenance, insurance and tyres are fully covered.

Specialist knowledge

You have specialised knowledge on the business you run, not in trucks and trailers. So when you are looking to acquire the necessary vehicles, you probably don’t know what to look for.

That is what is so beneficial about going through a hire company. Trucks and trailers are their business. They will be able to offer expert advice and be able to recommend the right vehicle for your needs.

Specialised fleet

Hire companies have a wide range of specialised vehicles to suit your needs. Their fleets also comprise the most up to date trucks and trailers. Buying the latest vehicles that are appropriate for your operation is a financial burden, especially if you use the vehicles irregularly. It would be much easier simply to hire a truck and trailer when you need it.

Additional benefits

If you are going to hire trucks and trailers, there are some obvious benefits to renting with Truckworld Rental. We are a business based in Perth that has a primary focus on Western Australia. That means that not only are our staff knowledgeable about the products we offer, but also familiar with the geographic specific details of the industry in WA.

In addition to this, we offer competitive pricing and work extended business hours to better facilitate our clients. We are confident we can offer you excellent service and a quality product, so if, after reading this, you have decided you want to rent a truck or trailer as opposed to buying it, why don’t you give one of our friendly staff a call?

Bringing Truck Hire & Rental into the 21st Century

In 2015, Truckworld Rentals have introduced new initiatives to protect customers, help the environment and save time!

The new initiative was designed to increase productivity of truck hire and rental, and reduce the collection and return times for drivers. All of this is done while increasing pre-hire accuracy recording, and saving the environment at the same time by reducing the annual printing of more than 20,000 pieces of paper. Implemented last week, and after a few minor technical tweaks, the initiative is now running effectively and meeting the objectives of the project.

In summary, every Truckworld asset has its own DNA in the form of a barcode that will stay with the asset for life. The barcodes are used to effect seamless administration of the rental from pre-hire to post-hire.

Using a bespoke ‘app’ on a mobile device, in conjunction with a small portable scanner, the Truckworld staff can quickly offer the client – at the point of collection – a comprehensive walk around the prime movers, semi-trailers, rigid trucks and tipper trucks, etc. During this pre-inspection the agent lists all of the key features of the asset being rented, leaving no room for future disagreements about physical features.

Features on the various vehicles may vary from rental to rental, based on the clients’ individual requirements. Before the bus or van hire and rental, a selection of pre-hire photos are taken, clearly identifying any pre-hire damage, missing items, etc. This eliminates any ambiguity at the point of post-hire that may only be noticeable the next day or several years in the future. Often the person that collects the asset is different from the person that operates it or returns it, leaving room for frequent disputes of the pre-hire conditions. Photos with a date and time stamp are proof, and help avoid unhappy clients and rental agents.

The client still has access to a formal rental agreement with the above attached so there is no cloak and dagger approach. The client will sign the rental agreement for a trailer hire and rental, bus hire etc. The client then receives a digital agreement, which is emailed, as opposed to a hard copy that frequently stays in the vehicle and is never looked at.

While the traditional method of listing features and marking damages on a line drawing of the asset has served us well over the years, it is now time to ‘go green’ and support the environment by offering our clients a fast, modern and thorough rental agreement via email.